Walle Files Bill to Raise Texas Minimum Wage

State Rep. Armando Walle introduced HB 132 on the first day of early filing to lift Texas's wage floor above the federal rate.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Employment

Isometric editorial illustration of the Texas State Capitol dome rising over a flat lawn under an open sky, muted cream and slate blue palette. — Texas Rep. Armando Walle, a Houston Democrat, filed HB 132 on the first day of early filing to raise the state's minimum wage above the federal $7.25 rate. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should Texas raise its minimum wage above the federal $7.25 rate?

Rep. Armando Walle, a Houston Democrat, introduced HB 132 to raise Texas's minimum wage, which has mirrored the federal $7.25 an hour since 1993. The bill was filed on the first day of early filing for the legislative session.

Why it matters

Texas does not set its own minimum wage, and state law prevents cities from imposing higher private-sector wages. Rising fuel, rent, grocery and electricity costs have increased pressure on working Texans.

The federal and Texas minimum wage has stayed at $7.25 an hour since 2009 and 1993 respectively, while the MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates a single-adult living wage in Texas at $21.77 an hour. More than 30 states and 69 cities and counties set minimums above the federal rate, but the bill's proposed figure has not been reported.

The players

Armando Walle

Armando Walle is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives representing a Houston district.

The details

Texas Labor Code §62.051 does not set a state minimum independent of the federal rate, so the state's wage floor follows the Fair Labor Standards Act. HB 132 would change that baseline, though the extraction does not specify the proposed amount.

1993: Texas Minimum Wage Act passed, mirroring the federal minimum.
2009: Federal minimum wage last rose to $7.25 per hour.
Nov. 10, 2026: HB 132 introduced on the first day of early filing.

Economic Context

Texas has tracked the federal Fair Labor Standards Act minimum of $7.25 an hour since 1993, leaving the state's wage floor unchanged even as more than 30 states set higher minimums. HB 132 would depart from that pattern if enacted.

Texas workers paid the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour would earn well below the MIT single-adult living wage estimate of $21.77 an hour. If HB 132 passes, the state floor would rise, though the extraction does not state by how much.

The takeaway

Minimum wage policy in Texas currently depends entirely on federal law, so any change depends on whether HB 132 advances through the legislature. Workers and employers tracking pay floors should watch the bill's progress as the session begins.